Process for manufacturing motor fuels



PROCESS Fon MANUFACTURING MOTO'RFUIJS Filed Deo. 7, 1931 Maw @n fill- 5 www Patented June 29, 1937 i Malcolm r. runner-,numana om., mmm to Phillips Petroleum Company, Bartlesville, Okla., a corporation of DelawareA man issmsenai No. 579.5311v z calm. (ci. 19e-soi This invention relates to improvements in processes for convertinghydrocarbon liquids or gases.

Anobiect of the invention is to provide a process by which gasoline having a high anti-knock rating and other desirable qualities, may be inan-- ufactured directly from crude oil. c Another object is to minimize the losses due to conversion oi' liquids to gases which normally result from the` conversion of heavy hydroc'arbon liquids to lighter hydrocarbon liquids.l

These desirable ends, aswell as others are attained bythe process.

'With the foregoing objects outlined and with other objects in view which will appear as-.the

l5 description 'proceedsgthe invention consists in the novel features hereinafter described in vdetail, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and more particularly pointed out in the apl pended claims. Y,

The form of'apparatus by which my new process is carried out is illustrated in elevation on the accompanyingdrawing'.

Crude oil will be delivered through the pipe I into theV saltssettler 2 which is a horisontal u cylindrical tank. `li liquid level normally 4above the centerof the salt settler 2 wlll'be maintained.

Liquidwill be delivered from the tank 2 through.v

the pipe 3 by means of the `pump 4 through a, furnace I and into the pipe I. The liquid thus '30 delivered through pipe l will be heated in passing through the furnace I and being delivered into the pipe I, will mix with and heat the crude oil ilowingthrough the pipe I into the salt settler 2. As a result of heating the crude oil entering the salt settler '2. vapors will be generated therein, and these vapors will ilow through the pipe t `into condenser l. Condensate will flow from the condenser 'l through the pipe linto the accumulator 9.' Ihe temperature maintained in" o thesalt settler 2 will be insumcient to crack the oil and only such that gasoline vapors distilled therefrom will flow into the condenser Land therefore, gasoline only will be accumulated in the accumulator 8. Gasoline may be withdrawn from the accumulator 9 through the valved pipe I il. will be vented from the accumulator l through vent pipe II. Liquid will bewithdrawn from the salt'settler 2 through a pipe I2 ,by a pump I2 and will be delivered by pump I2 through pipe Il and thence through a `heating 4tube. I5 which passes through furnaceJ 5 and delivers into the lower portion of fractionating tower II. A valve I1 which is mounted in heating tube i5 between furnace 5 and fracticnating tower i6 will be utilised to maintain vpressure in heating tube Il. Liquid which is" passed through the heating tube, Il will be heated therein and will, upon entry into thefractionating tower IG to a large extent vaporize, and the vapors thus generated will ilow upward through the fraction-'I 5 ating tower I6 and bubble trays I8, and thence through pipe I8 and condenser 20 and pipe 2i into the gas liquid separator 22.

Gas which will accumulate in the separator 22 in gaseous condition, will be vented therefrom 10 through the pipe 23 in which is mounted a valve 24. A part of `the gas which will accumulate in liquid state in the separator 22 will be pumped -therefrom through the pipe 25 by means of the pump'26 intoA and throughheating tube I5. A l5 part of the liquefied gas which will accumulate in the separator 22 will be deliveredv thence by pump 21 through pipe 2l in'which is mounted valve 29 into the top of fractionating tower I6.

As a result of delivering said liquid through pipe zo 28 into-the top of fractionatlng tower I6, liquid reflux will flow'- downward through fractionating tower It over bubble trays I8 and will contact and condense a portion of the vapors which will rise through fractionating tower It, and vas a 25 result of said condensation, liquid, consisting of gasoline and heavier fluid, will accumulate in the fractionating tower I6. )Liquid which will collect in the bottom of fractionating tower Il e will flow thence through pipe 20a in which is 30 mounted a valve 29a into a fractionating tower ll at a 'point below the' bubble trays Il which are mounted in fractionating` tower 20.

Pressure will bemaintained in fractionating tower I! in excess `of the pressure which will be 35,'

maintained inthe fractionating tower ll, 'and as a result, ,liquid flowing from fractionating tower lfthrough'pipe 28d into fractionating tower 3l, will partially vaporize upon 'entry into fractionatlng tower Il, and vapors thus gener- 40 l ated will llow .upward through `bubble plates Il in fractionating tower 3l, and thence through pipe 32, clay treater 33, pipe 24,'- and condenser 3i. Condensate will dow from condenser I5 through pipe It into accumulatorll. 45`

Asufiicient quantity of the liquid which will gather` in the accumulator Il will Ahe pumped therefrom through pipe 3l by means of pump 3l into the top of fractionating tower 3l to main-.-

tain a temperature at the top of fractionating- 5o tower Il such that only gasoline vapors and lighter gases will pass therefrom to the condenser Irl.` Thus, gasoline and gas only4 will be delivered into the accumulator II. t Gasoline Vwill be withdrawn from accumulator Pipe Il into the heated 31 through the pipe It in which is mounted valve ll. Gas will be vented from accumulator 31 through vent pipe 42. As a result of introducing cold gasoline into the top of fractionating tower 3l, reflux liquid will flow downward over bubble plates 3| and will condense that part of the vapors rising through fractionating tower `which is heavier than gasoline. Distillate which is heavier than gasoline may be withdrawn from one of the bubble trays 3| `which is intermediate between the point of entry of pipe 23a in fractionating tower 35, and the top of fractionating tower 3l, through a pipe 43 in which is mounted a valve 44. Distillate will be delivered by a pump Il from one of the bubble plates 3| through a pipe 45 which will pass through furnace 5 and lead into the pipe 23a.

The liquid which will be passed through pipe willbeheatedinpastage throughfurnace5 and will, upon entry into the pipe 23a, heat the liquids which will flow from thefractionating tower it through the pipe 28a.

Fuel oil will be withdrawn from the bottom of fractionating tower 33 through pipe 41 in which is mounted valve 43. A pipe 49 in which is mounted a valve 5l will serve to conduct liquid from an intermediate one of the bubble trays Il in fractionating tower II into fractionating tower 3latapointabovetheentrypointofpipe 23a into fractionating tower 33.

Abodyoi'fuller'searthwillbesodisposedin theclaytreaterthatvaporsmayreadilyiiow throughthisbodyofclayandintimatelycontact the particles thereof. Polymerized hydrocarbon liquids which will be formed in the clay treater 33 as a result of the contact between va- Dors and fuller's earth therein, will be withdrawn therefromthrough a pipe 52 in which is mounted a valve 53. 'Ihese polymerized hydrocarbons may either be withdrawn to storage or they may be delivered by means of a pump 454 which is mounted in a pipe 55 into fractionating column 33.

A conventional caustic washer 5I is mounted in the pipe 25 and serves to remove hydrogen suliide and other impurities from the liquefied gas which-fiows through the pipe 25.

Apump ltismountedina pipe 51 inwhlchis mounted a valve I3 and which leads into heating tube I5 by means of which straight run gasoline. hydrocarbon gas, either in liquid` or gaseous form, fuel oil, or any other hydrocarbon material or treating agent may be introduced into and passed through the heating tube i5. 'I may elect to deliver gasoline collected in the accumulator i and into and through the heating tube I5, by

meansofthepumpltandthev edpipella.

Water or water containing ea ts, eitherinsuspensionorinsol on,or ting vagents alone,maybeintrodu throughv ved hydrocarbon whichwill flow from the furnace through heating tube il mw frseuonaung tower Il.

Crude oil being preheated and delivered into salt settler 2 will flow slowly through this salt settler and any salt contained in the crude, as well as other debris will be settled from the crud therein and will be periodically removed.

The pressure maintained in the salt settler I willbeonly thatwhichisset up therein byresistancetofiowofvaporsthroughthepipet and the condenser 1. Although good results may be obtained at lower pressures, I will preferably maintain a pressure of approximately 3000 pounds per square inch in theheating tube i5.

Normally, the pressure set up at the discharge of the pumps I3 and 26 will be 3000 pounds per square inch, and pressure taken at intermediate points along the heating tube i5 will be less than 3000 pounds per square inch by the amount of friction'heat between thev point of which suchl pressure is taken and said pumps. A pressure of between 200 pounds per square inch and 1000 pounds per square inch, preferably about 500 pounds per square inch, will be. maintained in the fractionating tower i3, the separator 22, the condenser 20, and inter-connecting pipes.

'I'he pressure maintained in the fractionating column 3l, the clay treater 33, the condenser 35 and inter-connecting lines will be only in excess of atmospheric pressure, to the extent that pressure is set up by reason of the resistance to flow of .vapors and condensate through this system, as the accumulator 31 will be operated at approximately atmospheric pressure.

The length oi' that part of the pipe 3 which will beexposedtoheatinthe furnace 5 willbesoproportioned that the liquid which will enter the salt settler 2 will be heated to about 250 F. Therefore, nothing heavier than gasoline will be vaporized in the salt settler 2.

By regulation of the quantity of fuelilred in the furnace 5, the temperature'to which the liq- `uidpassedthroughheatingtube I5willbeheated.wil1varybetween800F.and900 F., andthis temperature will preferably be between 845 F. and 885 F. The temperature maintained at the top of the fractionating tower Il by means of regulating the delivery of reflux liquid into the top of this tower will be such that the vapor pressure of the liquid leaving the bottom of this fractionating tower will be in accord with the current specifications for motor fuel, which at this time, vary between 8 pounds per square inch and 13 poundsper square inch when taken by the' Reedmethod at 100 F. That part of the pipe ltwhichwillbeexposedtoheatinthefurnacel willbesoproportionedthatthebottomofthe fractionating tower 33 will be heated to the extent necessary to remove from the liquids which will collect in the bottom of fractionating tower 33 practically all gasoline fractions.

While I have not shown any details pertaining to the exact arrangement of the heating tube i5, it should be understood that I intend to arrange this heating tube in the form oi' a heating portion and a conversion portion after the manner which has already been disclosed in my patent applications: Serial No. 559,083, nled Aug. 24, 1931,l Serial No. 545,309, filed June 18, 1931. and Serial No. 579,014, flied Dec. 4, 1931.

As outlined in the above mentioned applications for patents. in order to avoid rapid deposif tion of coke in the apparatus and to at the same time obtain satisfactory conversion in the heating tube il of the materials passed therethrough, it is desirable to first rapidly heat these materials to conversion temperature in the nrst part of the heating tube l5 and then pass the thus heated material through a latter portion of the heatingtube I5 whichissoan'angedinthefurnacc as to be only mildly heated.

-As a result of the method of operation, this process will produce gasoline having a very high anti-knock rating. This fact was vdivulged ln a previous application for patent iiled by the present applicant under U. S. application Serial No. 534,067. med April 80.1981.

From the foregoing it is believed that the construction, operation and advantages o! my `invention may be readily understood by those skilled in the art, and I am aware that changes may be made in the details disclosed, without departing from the spirit of the invention, as

. expressed in the claims. i

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A process for manufacturing from crude oil, motor fuel having a high anti-knock rating,`

. bon material which results from said heating into a lighter than gasoline fraction, a gasoline fraction and a heavier than gasoline fraction, liquefying said lighter than gasoline fraction, and adding some of the gasoline condensate and some of said lighter than gasoline fraction in liquid phase to said remainder 'of the preheated oil` i before heating the latter to a cracking tempera- 2. A `process for manufacturing from crude oil, motor fuel having a high anti-knock rating, which comprises preheating said oil vbelow cracking temperatures and removing gasoline vapors from the same, condensing said vapors to obtain a gasoline condensate, then heating the remainder of said preheated oil to a cracking temperature under high super-atmospheric pressure, separating the hydrocarbon material v.which results from said heating and thereby obtaining a lighter than gasoline fraction in' liquid condition, a gasoline fraction and a heavier than gasoline condensate fraction, adding some of said first mentioned gasoline and some o1' said lighter than gasoline fraction to said4 remainder of the preheated oil before heating the latter to' a cracking temperature, and removing hydrogen sulphide and other impurities from said lighter than gasoline fraction before adding the latter in liquid condition to said remainder of the preheated oil. i

MALCOLM P. YOUKER. 

